My Best Christmas Present Ever!

"And when they had opened their treasures, they presented him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:11 [NKJV]

Christmas is only a few weeks away, so I'm getting my favorite item from my children and grandchildren. I always know what my husband wants: Save cold, hard cash or a voucher of his favorite train. He has received a model train hobby and needs infinite cash to get it upright. But this year I could distract him by surprise and romantic with something andsentimental.

I go back in my memory today, to a certain Christmas in my childhood. I was old in third grade, and only eight years. I do not remember who now lay under the tree for me and what I am Open at Christmas, but I do I know what I was hoping for.

That Christmas, I have my mother was back.

My mother was very, very sick. I was sure she would die. I've heard whispers in the church at prayer meeting. I saw the ladiespitying glances as she tried to smile at me. Men stood in the church and prayed long prayers asking God to spare my mother and they do well.

I did not know why my mother was in hospital. At first I thought she had a baby, but my older sisters assured me that it was not so. At home, my older sister and dad talked quietly did not want to worry us younger children.

So I prayed. I also asked God to heal my mother and bring her home for Christmas. My family was great. I was thirteenBrothers and sisters.

One or two years before other large family in our church her mother had lost. She died. Her father remarried, so that the children now have a new mom. I did not want a new mom. I loved my mother. I have all kinds of promises to God - good Christian, what I would do if he would only bring my mother back home to me from the hospital.

And God has my mother bring home for Christmas, but only for a few days and then she was back to surgery.

But that wasenough for me.

As I hugged her and comforted me she could let go again. I thought, for she had already gone and returned, she would come back the next time too. I was right. It was still worse than before, but she had her surgery. God healed her, and many weeks later she came back home to stay. God heard my prayer.

When I think of the ways with their treasure of gold and perfumes at the feet of Jesus, the first Christmas season I agree with themWorship.

But to have the Christmas when I was eight, all the rich material resources that were the richest kings laid at the feet of Jesus, could not compare it to the treasure in have given me - my mother.

This Christmas, I encourage you, the special gifts given to Jesus, you have to remember.

Ruth Willms is a Christian children's author and speaker. Christmas, a new children's book she wrote in honor of the birthday of Jesus. It's called A ChristmasPresent for Goliath and it tells the story of the young camel that carried the gifts of gold and perfumes, to Jesus in Bethlehem. Visit http://www.RuthWillms.com order or learn more about Ruth.

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Christmas Trees - The History of a Christmastime Tradition

When we talk about the history of Christmas trees, there are really several issues to be discussed. First, there is the association of the evergreen tree with Christianity. When and where it started? First, as is the evergreen tree come to be associated with the Christian holiday of Christmas related? And finally, how did this association is manifested in our modern tradition of the decorated tree in the holiday season? We will examine each of theseQuestions, which one by one.

Evergreen trees and Christianity:

There is some debate about when and how the evergreen tree was associated only with Christianity. Some historians tell us that a monk named Boniface randomly to a group of pagan worship an oak tree in the woods (and possibly the implementation of human and animal sacrifice there). Boniface was angered by this, and he cut down the oak. As legend has jumped an evergreen tree, untilwhere was the oak. Boniface and the pagans thought this was a sign of Christianity, and thus the association of the evergreen tree with Christianity at the beginning of the first. There is also some debate about exactly where this happened. Some historians claim that it happened in Riga, Latvia. However, some others argue, that this was done in Germany, which might make more sense when Boniface was a German monk.

Evergreen trees and Christmas:

Other historians claim thatThe monk Boniface preach actually used the evergreen tree as a teaching aid to Christian faith of the pagan population. He took the triangular shape of the tree as a symbol of the Christian Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. According to this legend, around the 12th Century brought Christian people evergreen trees indoors at Christmastime and hung upside down from their ceilings as a symbol of Christian faith.

Others claim that the earliestreference recorded on evergreen trees that had been used for Christmas celebrations 16th Century documented German corporations. This reference tells of a fir tree, which was set up and is displayed in the main business of the guild, and that the children were allowed to guildmen's the little gifts, decorating the tree for the holidays to take. Another show has been other evidence that might bring the guild apprentices decorated with the implementation of the evergreen through the streets Celebration.

Martin Luther is credited to another person with the early association between the evergreen tree and Christmas. As the story goes, Luther was a walk on a winter evening, admire the beauty of twinkling stars in the clear night sky. He was so excited to cut an evergreen tree, bring it indoors and try to create, re-decorate the starlight effect of the tree with candles.

The transition to the Modern Day > Christmas Tree

Traditionally, Germans decorated their Christmas trees with fruits, nuts, small gifts and other sundries. Glass jewelry and began her career in the famous glass-blowing shops in Germany. For this reason, our modern tradition of Christmas trees is usually attributed to a German origin.

There was a time when Christmas trees were shunned by conservative Christians as idolatry. In Puritan America,> Christmas trees were not welcome in the Christmas season. In England, decorated trees and Christmas carols were banned entirely. Fortunately, these days do not last for too long. In the mid-1800, Queen Victoria of England and its royal family before their family Christmas tree, decorated and photographed the picture appeared in the London News. From then on, a decorated Christmas tree was very popular in England and the UnitedStates.

The tradition of decorating evergreen trees at Christmas time has certainly evolved from the early historical accounts, but one thing remains the same. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree is still an inspiring sight of all that we have enjoyed in the spirit of the holiday region each year.

For those of us show that artificial trees, The Christmas Tree Storage Shop offers a variety of seasonal storage solutions including the TreeKeeper prefera unique storage bag for Christmas trees.

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